Rogers made history when its girls basketball team won the Ohio Division II state championship Saturday, bringing home Toledo’s first title in the sport since 1981.
Local high school coaches were impressed by the Rams’ efforts after the win over Gates Mills Gilmour Academy. Here’s what some of them had to say:
Travis Galloway, Notre Dame (2008-present)
“Obviously, you’re very proud of their accomplishment, knowing how hard it is to get it done. With us having a chance to play in two of those [title] games and not being able to win it, we understand how difficult it is. So, having a Toledo team that we play every year go down there and get it done, there’s definitely a sense of feeling proud for them, and everybody in the city should be very proud of them.
“Zia Cooke did exactly what she needed to do for her team to win. She came out and was in full control of the game from the beginning. She dominated the game from a defensive standpoint, a rebounding standpoint, and a scoring standpoint. Great players do that, and she put on a performance on the biggest stage that coaches dream of. For her to do it there in the final game is remarkable, and it’s a tribute to how hard she works and what kind of a player she is.”
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Steve Pfahler, Central Catholic (1988-2011)
“It’s an enormous thing to get done. Winning a state championship is something all of us that made it down there always dreamed of doing. So, they were able to get that done and bring some validity to our area as far as girls basketball goes.
“It’s a quite a feat. It’s hard to get through and win a state championship. We don’t often get that done, and I think there’s some quality basketball played up here. I was glad to see that.
“It’s awful special to have a group of kids who get through a lot of games and get through some tough situations. It takes time to build a program, and you have to have the right blend of kids. Obviously the chemistry was right with this team.
There’s nothing better than going to state, and all of us wondered what it would be like to win one. Certainly Lamar Smith knows now, and hat’s off to him for winning one.”
Bob Brown, Start (2004-2011)
“This is great, and it’s great for Toledo and northwest Ohio basketball. It’s awesome. I just thought Zia Cooke was a superstar and they had no answer for her.
“Sharing it with the kids is special, and the journey to get there is amazing. You get to coach a lot of talented kids if you’re fortunate enough to make a run to Columbus. The journey you make, and the different battles you face along the way with teams, I don’t think you ever forget them as a coach.
“It’s a great accomplishment. Travis Galloway has made some unbelievable pushes too, and never got it done. It’s such a difficult thing to do. If you don’t play you’re A-game down there, you’re not going to win, plain and simple. If you don’t shoot the ball well, you’re not going to win.”
Manny May, Waite (1998 to present)
“It’s a great thing for Toledo Public Schools, and Lamar Smith has been a great liaison for us in the City League since we were torn away from the Catholic schools, and the entity that we were back in the day. To bring it back home in 2018 to Toledo, as many times as we’ve been down there and lost – each one of us, Notre Dame, Central Catholic, Waite and Start – is an outstanding job for the young ladies at Rogers, and Lamar and his coaching staff. I’m delighted, and it’s a testimony for us to keep on working hard to get there ourselves.
“Zia Cooke put the team on her back and willed it to a win. She would not be denied a state championship, and her teammates accepted their roles in that game. She played an outstanding two games down there, and throughout the year she played outstanding basketball.”
Jerry Sigler, Northview (1976-2013)
“It’s hard to believe that it’s been that long since someone from here has won a state title down there. But, we all know that funny things happen on that court. You can take the best teams down there that we have from northwest Ohio, and just strange things happen and you can’t win the big one.
“Everything’s got to fall in place, and it looks like it did for Rogers. I saw them play Friday, and we left the arena I told my wife, ‘Cooke is by far the best player in this tournament,’ and she was really impressive. She does a lot of things well.
“They had Cooke, but they also had some other kids that complemented her well. The freshman guard [Madison Royal-Davis] is one of them. They seemed to hold their composure. In past years they hadn’t been able to keep it together the whole game. When I walked out of there [Friday] I pretty much felt that Rogers was going to win one. Good for Rogers. Good for Toledo.”
Contact Steve Junga at sjunga@theblade.com, 419-724-6461, or on Twitter @JungaBlade.
First Published March 19, 2018, 12:33 a.m.
